Forceps.



PATENTED AUG. 7, 1906; J. SOMERS.

FORUMS.-

APPLIGATION FILED PEB.2,1906.

ATTORNEYS vs CO-, WASHINGTON. n. cy

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SOMERS, OF SAN JUAN, CALIFORNIA.

FORCEPS.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7311966.

Application filed-February 2, 1906- Serial No. 299,175.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMnsSoMERs, a citizen. of the United States, and a. resident of SanJuan, in the county of San Benito and State of. California, have inventedanewand useful Improvement in Forceps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descripstrument reduced in size fortransportation orfor. cleansing purposes andthe parts be readily and expeditiously assembled.

Another purpose of the invention is to. provide forceps-of'the character described that canbe made of different sizes according to the size of the subject to beoperated upon and which are especially useful in difficult parturition of cattle, horses, &c., theinstrument being so constructed that any part of the fetus can be grasped, drawn-out, or repelled, or turned, and whereby when necessary the joints, 850., can be separated with the accompanying cutting elements of the device or whereby any portion of the fetus can be cut ofi, grasped between the jaws of the instrument and quickly, conveniently, and cleanly withdrawn.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the instrument, partly opened, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the instrument closed. Fig.' 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the jaws of the instrument, the section being taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the pivot portion of the instrument, the section being taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1' and Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation of the instrument, illustrating a slightly-modified form of the same.

The body of the instrument consists of two pivotally-connected sections A and B, and each of said sections includes a handle member 10 at one side of the pivot, a head member 11 at the opposite side of the pivot, anda jaw O at the outerend of the head member. When the two body-sections-A and- B .a-re pivotally connected, the members 10 and llare offset fromeach other, and the opposing side. faces; of the body-sections are recessed,- as shown at. 13 111 Figs. 1 and 2, in order thatthe outer faces of the said body may be flush and rendered smooth.

At the pivot-point of the body-sectionB an annular countersink 14v is produced in'its outer face, andin this countersink an elon-- gatedslot or opening 15 isproduced extend-.

ing longitudinally of'said section, as shownin Figs. 1 and 4. The body-section A at; its.

pivot-point has a small countersink 16 made in its outer face and an aperture 17, extends ing through from the countersink, as: is

clearly shown in Fig. 4. The two body-see.

tions A and B are pivotally connected by means of a pin 18, passed throughthe aperture 17 in the section A and through the slot 15 into the countersink 14 of the body-section B. This pin 18 has a head 19 at one end, which enters the countersink 16 of the body.- section A and is provided with a button 20 at its opposite end, extending beyond opposite sides. The button 20 is free to pass through the slot 15 in the body-section B; but when the button is turned in the countersink 14 to cross the slot 15, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the said body-sections are locked in pivotal engagement. ,Upon again turning the button 20, however, to bring it parallel with the slot 15 the pin 18 may be withdrawn and the body-sections may be separated for the purpose of cleansing them or to render the instrument compact for storage or transportation.

The jaws C are located at the outer ends of the head members 11 of the body-sections A and B and extend outward in the same direction at right angles to the said head members 11, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The jaws C are reversely arched, and one is directly over the other, so that their inner or corresponding faces are opposite each other, as is shown in Fig. 3, and t e outer ends 21 of the jaws are made fiat, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so that when the jaws are closed their end surfaces 21 are brought together, limiting the movement of the jaws in that direction.

Each jaw C is provided with a longitudinal slot 22, and when a cutting operation is required knife-blades 23 are secured in the said slots, their cutting edges, which are segmental, extending beyond the inner faces of the jaws, and it may be here remarked that the said cutting edges of the knives may be plain or serrated and that for many purposes the instrument is complete without the addition of the knives.

The handle members of the body-sections A and B are made in two or more parts, preferably two, (designated as 10 and 10 one being screwed into the other, as shown at 24 in Fig. 1, and each inner or rear portion 10 of a body-section is provided with an eye 10 at its rear end, so that a rope or cord may be passed through said eyes to facilitate the removal of the instrument and object engaged thereby, or a bar may be passed through said eyes to facilitate turning the forceps and the fetus between its jaws.

Under the construction shown in Fig. 5 the body-sections A and B are thereon designated as C and constitute the jaws for the instrument. The upper jaw C is provided with a hook-shaped beak at its outer end curved in direction of the lower or opposing jaw and adapted when the jaws are closed to engage the outer end portion of the lower jaw. This upper or hooked jaw is provided with a longitudinal slot, as in the other construction described, and in said slot a straight knife 26 is removably secured, and ,in order that a firm gripping action shall be obtained the opposing jaw has longitudinal teeth 27 integral therewith or attached thereto. It may be here stated that the cutting-blades may. if

desired, be let in and attached to the outside face of the forceps by screws instead of being introduced into slots, as shown.

When it is desired to hold the jaws locked upon the object gripped, a ring 28 is slid over the handle portions of the body members A and B until the jaws shall have been brought together as far as the nature of the case demands; but any equivalent means may be substituted. 7

It will be seen that by arranging the cutting-blades in the slots with their outer edges flush with the outer face of the jaw the said outer faces of the aws act as shields or guards for the blades when inserted and for the gripping-faces of the aws.

Having thus described my invention, I I claim'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent Obstetrical forceps, comprising a plurality of pivotally-connected sections, each provided with a lateral jaw, the jaws being oppositely arched and coacting with each other, and each provided with a longitudinal slot, and blades inserted in the slots whereby the outer arched faces of the sections act as shields for blades.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to'this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

1 JAMES SOMERS.

Witnesses:

MALCOLM MAOKENIZE, JosEPH WILLOOX. 

